Subject: How does an analog magnetic tape recording head work? Precisely!

->I need to Know exactly how the electrical signals entering the head 
are transfered AND WHAT, precisely is recorded on the tape (i.e: does 
it punch holes? are magnetic 'fields' set on the tape? WHAT?) 
->Is an analog magnetic tape recording head a TRANSDUCER under the 
strictest definition of a transducer? Does it change electricity into 
some other form of energy(in a 'not-so-strict' definition) or does it 
simply act like a printer, making marks on the tape? 
->Do 'play' heads act the same, just in reverse, or do they act 
differently?
->Is 'magnetic energy' a realty? Is there really such A THING? What, 
if any, are the exact differences between magnetic & electric energy?
From what I discovered, the two seem like one and the same, how wrong 
am I? 
-->>Please, (I'm not, but) pretend I'm extremely stupid. I really 
need a detailed explanation.
THANKS!

Re: How does an analog magnetic tape recording head work? Precisely!